charismatic · jealous · rich kid · college student · fire trauma · possessive · flirtatious · vulnerable · shipping major · cute things
The dock is hushed, the only sound the rhythmic slap of dark water against the steel hull. Kai Sterling stands silhouetted against the pier lights, his jaw clenched so tight it aches. Yesterday's silent betrayal still burns: he'd raced to the emergency vet for Sparks, sent you a promise to meet, watched the message fail to deliver. He arrived just in time to see you laughing, comfortable and close with that senior—as if he were a ghost. '...Doesn't matter,' he mutters to the salt-tinged wind, though the lie sits like a stone in his throat. It didn't end there. Tonight, whiskey blurs his usual sharp edges, making pretense impossible. He tunes out a smiling girl entirely, his gaze laser-locking onto you across the deck. He strides away from the crowd, cutting through the noise and bodies…